What a gem. Just finished one of the best meals ever. Great service and the menu was an absolute treat. Could not fault one dish and the meal seemed to get better with each dish served. Who would have thought crispy potato skin and potato ice cream could taste so good. Every dish was a winner. Thank you for a wonderful experience. All the staff were exceptional. Hope to be back soon.
Renishka Naidoo-Weisse
+5
The absolute best dining experience in Melbourne. Every dish was sensational, so innovative and different. It was also a treat to have the chef's serve the dishes, particularly Clinton McIver. I couldn't recommend Amaru highly enough.
First class food - presentation, execution and delivery paired with outstanding floor service, small wine list but well paired with the experience in a classy open kitchen dining setting. If you can, ask to be seated at the chef's table for a chance to meet the team in the kitchen. Cannot recommend this highly enough.
What an amazing place to dine. I can't explain how perfect our experience was today. From the experience of the front of house team to the warm, experienced and friendly kitchen staff everything was better than we could have expected. The food was another level of amazing. It's a place you have to go to and a place to continually revisit.
Came from brisbane for an event and wanted to go somewhere nice. This place just ticked all the right boxes for me. Shout out to the chefs who made all the dishes! All was great, creative and definately worth the money. Front of house staff were very polite and friendly. Would come back, i reccomend the chefs table for anyone that goes here. You can see all the action up close and really get to appreciate the work that is put on each dish. ���
An absolutely stunning meal. It has been 2 years since our last meal there and now every course is superbly well balanced and refined. Almost every course is a brilliant combination of flavour that not only surprises but also combines so well. Too many highlights to single out courses but the Hapuka, the shiitake and the kangaroo courses were 10/10. The matching ‘wines’ are not conventional but are wonderfully complementary. The service was not only very knowledgeable but very warm and welcoming. It is a truly memorable dining experience and I will do my best to return soon.
The most fantastic experience from start to finish. The culinary offering was out of this world and some how they matched this with spectacular service and a wine list that blew us away. Will be back xx
Truly an exceptional experience with great food and wine. Awsome staff. Made our 1st anniversary dinner special. Thanks Amaru
Amaru was absolutely excellent. Each dish was consistently brilliant and wonderful with a focus on world class flavour. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.
Was an excellent degustation menu.
Very accommodating staff, well timed meals.
The whole menu catered very well to the palate and the paired wines were excellent.
Worth every penny.
From start to finish, Amaru was a truly outstanding food adventure. Every course was amazing from a visual and taste perspective. Food exceptional. Service exceptional. Definitely will be a repeat offender.
One of the best fine restaurants that I like, tasty food and great service! Will definitely come back �
Wonderful dining experience of contemporary Australian cuisine with great friends, that evoked the senses and challenged the imagination!!
Thoroughly enjoyed a vast array of amazingly creative tasting plates.
Simply amazing!!
Awesome food and service front row seats for great all round experience. Well recommend
Cannot fault our evening there. The food was exquisite and the service even better. Loved the personal touch and very friendly staff. Look forward to going back
Definitey one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne. The service is absolutely amazing, the waiters were attentive and spend time to get to know you. the flavours, the textures, the aesthetics, All of the dishes are mind-blowing and delicious. I have visited Amaru a long time ago, approximately 2016 and have been wanting to go back. After this second time experiencing their menu, i still want to back!
Ordered Amaru for two tonight and it was hands down the best fine dining quality dishes we've ever had in Melbourne. Great value and we are looking forward to the new menu next week!!
We have dined in once before and had their takeaway menu tonight and I have got to say both times the food blew our minds! One of our favourite restaurants in Melbourne and will definately come again!
Wow, Amaru has absolutely delicious and sophisticated food and such a lovely, intimate ambience. I’ve been to quite a lot of degustation restaurants in Melbourne and this is by far the best. Can’t even choose my favourite dish out of the eight course sensory experience I enjoyed; so worth it and just a beautiful meal and place to come to overall.
Amaru means beautiful and that truly describes everything about the restaurant!
Beautiful ambiance, excellent service and such sophisticated flavour combinations. Loved everything about Amaru. My favourite dish had to be their take on the dim sum, so divine!
Shiitake, sandalwood AND truffle doesn’t quite leap off the page as a dessert option but initial impressions can be, and were in this case, deceiving. Extremely so. The earthy, umami flavours actually worked together harmoniously to deliver another highlight of our meal. The balanced addition of caramel and sandalwood praline were the exact bells and whistles that sold me on this dish, adding a minimal touch of sweetness and oomph in the texture department. Genius.
A small intimate dining room with big modern Australian flavours. They are big on flavours and the dishes showcases native Australian ingredients. We went with the Sensory menu which gives us an experience of the wild aromatics. It was a 15 course menu and I must say it was truly impressive. The flavours were not what you expect and was very different. The highlight for us was the Portarlington Musssels, charred broccoli, and grilled lettuce, the smokey flavours were incredible and it kept us going back for more. The otway shiitake ice cream, sandalwood, cacao and black truffle dessert was very different and was a very nice finish to the meal. Their homemade sourdough comes with creamed butter and it was simply amazing. The creaminess texture of the butter was so good. They do have a truffle supplement which complements to the courses and this is optional.
Definitely worth a visit to experience true modern Australian flavours.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
An intimate small restaurant in Armadele, said to be one of the best fine dining in Melbourne. Got the chance to sit at the Chef’s Table, which I honestly expected to be seated in front of the chef. Nevertheless, got the sensory menu of 8 courses for the night. Started with lavender infused water, which was sweet and fresh. Then the snacks came, they were all delicious and unique, really enjoyed it. The first course was mussels with cream sauce, the mussels were not fishy at all, really liked the cream as well, not too overwhelming. Then, it was a new dish, mud crab with cannabis. The cannabis seeds were like congee, and it was also one of the highlights. The sourdough was served with buttermilk and sourdough oil with honey. The quail was treated like ham, it tasted like ham indeed. It was a bit too salty, but the meat was very tender. Would recommend eating them with hands, made it more flavourful! Next was the lamb sweetbread and eel. The lamb didn’t have an overpowering smell, which was good, even my friend who was sensitive to lamb smell could eat it. The eel was a nice addition too. The kangaroo was probably my favourite meat of all. It was very tender, and it had a strong hazelnut taste which I liked. I didn’t find the liquorice to be a suitable addition for the dish, but the onion was really tasty as well. For the desserts, the first one was shiitake ice cream, which was good, but couldn’t taste any shiitake at all, also, the truffle shavings didn’t really add anything. The second one was coconut ice cream with lychee meringue, kiwi ice cream, and fingerlime jelly. It was my favourite dessert of all. Even though the kiwi was really strong, but the coconut ice cream balanced it all. The meringue wasn’t too sweet as well. The coconut ice cream was really refreshing. Last was the goat’s curd with lemon myrtle and honeycomb. Probably my least favourite of all. The goat’s curd had an unpleasant aftertaste. I personally could tolerate it when mixed with the lemon myrtle or honeycomb. However, my friends couldn’t finish the dessert, as the aftertaste was too strong. It was unfortunate to end the meal with an unenjoyable dish. We got another little treats at the end. Olive oil pastille, which was sugar coated jelly. The jelly didn’t really taste like anything, but it was light and refreshing. Really liked the pumpkin caramel, it wasn’t too sweet, and it was coated with pistachio, which added a nutty flavour. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, however, it wasn’t so special and I would think twice to splurge on this meal.
Excellent restaurant. Lovely food. Beautiful restaurant. Lovely staff. Love how the restaurant isn’t over loaded with table- allows the restaurant to feel intimate & not loud. Food served & present beautifully. A very enjoyable dining experience which I would recommend.
Had a great dining experience here. The food was delicious. I’ve found that fine dining places are very often overrated but this place is well worth the visit.
This place takes fine dining to another level. You are greeted with a stark, clean and modern interior and very pleasant, informative and tentative waiters.
But the real focus here is on the food. You follow an 8 or so course set menu of well-portioned dishes that leave you satisfied but not stuffed. Each dish is a unique, new flavourful discovery. My personal favourites were the desserts (pictured), especially the mushroom and black truffle soft serve!
I highly recommend to anyone looking for a dinner to remember!
Absolutely amazing experience, from snacks to desserts, perfect pairings of drinks to go with the food. Highlights were the mussels with charred lettuce and the kangaroo, which had a delightful dance of flavours between the hazelnut and licorice. The desserts were all incredible with their unique flavours and textures just capping off an incredible meal.
I have nothing but praise for Amaru. From the professional and outgoing floor staff to the talented team in the kitchen producing the most exciting dishes, everything was perfect. The fit out is elegant and laid back with a variety of seating options available. Every single dish was so well executed and I couldn’t fault anything. The depths of flavors and contrasts in every plate were impressive. My favorites were the onion and garfish snack, the mussels with charred broccoli and lettuce, the quail with pineapple and the shiitake sundae. Thank you Amaru, the experience was my favorite in Melbourne to date.
choices of two tasting menus - we decided on Insight Menu.
Small servings but it is packed with flavors.
The freshness of the ingredients are allow to speak for itself. All ingredients acted an enhancement to the what nature provides for us.
Highlight - Portarlington Mussels / Charred Broccoli / Grilled Lettuce. The grilled lettuce was delicious and I want a whole bowl of it. The mussels was cooked to perfection. The broccoli mousse was a perfect accomplishment to the mussels.
Service was what you would expect from a 2 hats restaurant.
Our second time here on the Chef’s table with the Sensory menu.
Both times we had lunch with the non-alcoholic pairing. One after another beautiful and delicious creations, it is a wonderful intimate experience recommended for special occasions.
Most drinks and the main dishes had changed slightly from the first time we tried, which was good. The experience was just as good as the first. We were lucky that both times there were not too many people so we got the restaurant almost ton ourselves.
What I enjoyed most were the pride belief the chef and staff serving the dishes have as they explained their creations. The effort and thinking that goes into the food and drink, the aged meat, the infused tea, were such a treat.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Amaru deserves every star available, as the posse both, front of house and in the kitchen, are absolute rockstars 🌟 What a night indeed! Every dish on the Sensory menu was impressively, thoughtfully and beautifully pieced and plated together from mind to matter. It’s not often that I feel like I can taste the spirit and emotion that went into a dish but this experience certainly delivered on that level. It was lovely to have met and chatted with the whole “behind the dish” crew from the kitchen to the table as the service was very warm, friendly and left a familiar feeling on my departure. It wasn’t just a sensory experience in the dishes but also inclusive of the attentive service and the decor in choice of lighting, colours, furnishings and placements.
You won’t understand what my review means until you’ve come to check it out for yourself. Be prepared to have your senses delightfully stirred and awakened! Thank you Amaru squad for a memorable and altogether lovely night out. Much love and appreciation to you and the food babies you created and delivered.
Excellent Sensory menu beautifully crafted by Amaru chefs. Thanks you for such wonderful evening with delicious dishes made with love. Absolutely enjoyed their ambience and impeccable service. Amaru dishes is flavoursome and I love their house bread and butter too!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Woke up on the AFL grand final Saturday and felt we haven’t tried a new place for ages. Started flicking through Zomato and Amaru popped up in the fine dining category. I was able to book on line for lunch. So by noon ish, we ended up at Amaru.
When we got there, there was only one other guest seated on a stool in the bar seating area.
Half way through our degustation course, I figured, there was prob no other guests turning up. It was just me, hubby and the guy at the bar. Everyone was prob at the games.
I say to hubby “this is prob what the rich and famous do. Reserve a whole restaurant and have a body guard ”.. 😂 This certainly wasn’t any experience I’ve had before. Rather unique.
Now that I’ve tried it, Its enough. Definitely would prefer to have other people at the restaurant. Gives it a buzz.
Food and service was nice. I’m not a cheese person, so couldn’t really taste/enjoy the signature dessert which was cream/cheese base. They offered another dish to replace, but I was already so full. The degustation course will definitely fill the tummy.
My only regret is the fact that i decided to go fine dining on the day. I missed out on the element of waiting and looking forward to the event.
Intimate and sophisticated venue. Excellent service from staff whilst still maintaining a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Food was delicious and well presented with interesting combinations. Portion was just right - we left very impressed and satisfied. Cutlery was beautiful too!
Easily one of Melbourne's top restaurants. Staff was attentive without being overbearing and they made us feel comfortable just being there. Food wise, super inspired with a playful take on textures bordering on the unfamiliar but just right. Well done team! It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
The is a classy restaurant with professional service and very good food that is creative and innovative.It is small and you are offered two fixed priced menu options. Overall a very good for a fine ding experience.
Loved it. Would definitely go again without any hesitation. Value for the price considering fine dining and the entire experience. Very intimate setting but it felt very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
We celebrated my partner’s birthday and the chefs and team were very accomodating. We both really enjoyed it! Thank you!
Go, just go. It was above and beyond expectations. Intimate setting, amazing service, excellent food and presentation. Love how both waitstaff and kitchen staff would come to the table to walk you through each dish. It was perfect on all fronts, especially for a special occasion.
Staff were extraordinary and were very polite. With each course came an introduction of the adventurous dish being served. It was a great way to learn of the dish itself and also to get to know each staff member. No menu was provided at the beginning so each course was a surprised. A very delicious surprise! The atmosphere of the restaurant was quite, elegant and modern. It was an open plan with an exposed kitchen with mirrors which showcased the inner workings of the amazing menu. Thank you to the Amaru team for making our six year anniversary one to always remember! We will definitely be back!
Thank-you for your wonderful service and food today. My husband and I both agreed it was one of the tastiest and most memorable degustations we've had in a while. I appreciate the effort your kitchen staff took to cater for my dietary requirements; you didn't compromise on quality. I look forward to coming back.
I can’t say I go to a lot of “fine dinning” restaurants but went along with a friend to Amaru about 12 months ago and have been back 5 times since. What an amazing experience this place is. The food is out of this world and blows me away every time you I go. It is however priced at a level that means its only a once every now and then place but I believe this place is one of the best fine dinning experiences Melbourne has to offer!
Jenny Jeyanandarajah
+4.5
Dined here over a month ago for a birthday celebration. After reading the reviews was excited to try Amaru out. Firstly ambience of the restaurant is so Melbourne and chic. Staff were really attentive and friendly making the evening so much more pleasant. We decided to do matching wine pairing and while wine were nice felt the matches could have complemented the food more. All the starters were visually beautiful but also tasted beautiful. Great way to get the saliva flowing. All the main dishes were beautiful and was interesting to try the truffle supplement from two different areas of Australia. Personally felt needed one more savory main to sate my savory tastebud but that my opinion. Shiitake mushroom ice cream probably most memorable for me cause it’s as delicious and completely mind boggling. All in all wonderful evening n look forward to seeing these guys rise in popularity
The staff were really friendly and helpful. Great atmosphere and couldn't fault any dish. Was a great night out and would recommend you try them out
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Ambience: 5
Staff: 5
Food: 4.8
Beverage: 5
Beautiful dining experience on our wedding anniversary. Very happy with our choice.
For drinks, I ordered the lemon flower with cucumber, very refreshing drink in a warm night. Husband had a Japanese beer, he said that was a great beer too.
We had the sensory menu, among the four starters, the duck ham was my favourite. My favourite main was the mud crab and rock oyster with iced apple. I can still feel the refreshing taste on the tip of my tongue just thinking about the dish. The dish had so many different layers of flavours and texture, it was definitely the highlight of the night for me. My second top pick would be the Hapuka dish came with consume, if it was appropriate, I would pick up the plate and lick every single bit on it, no joke. For desert, when the lovely lady presented us the shitake mushroom ice cream, the first reaction in my head was: what? for real? But you know what? It worked really well and I loved it. This is the kind of dish that does a trick in your head, in a good way. The most photographed dish has to go to the Meredith cheesecake. Loved the texture, as well as the acidity the blood orange sorbet brings, well balanced flavours. The petite four, Bergamot/rhubarb/barley, it was hard to bite off, but then you don't have too, it's bite-size itself. Wait till it melt in your mouth, OMG, layers of flavours exploded. What a good note to end the evening. I didn't rate the food 5 out of 5 because of the kangaroo dish. The meat was cooked beautifully. However, the liquorice didn't quite work for me. Maybe this would be an acquired taste in the future.
My opinion on this place? Shut up and take my money! I will return any day of the week, any week of the month.
Visited Amaru with my boyfriend for our anniversary. Staff was really nice and patient. We didn’t choose wine pairing, but order glasses as we go. The waitress was very kindly sharing her favourite wine at the restaurant and provide suggestions across different varieties. The only 2 things I didn’t quite enjoy were, 1) too many dessert and we feel we didn’t have enough savoury food 2) many dishes used iced xxxx as an ingredient, as I’m not a fun of using ice in my dish, so didn’t like much. However, overall, would still say it was an awesome experience and would love to come back again.
Came here yesterday for my dad's birthday and had the most wonderful experience. The staff were attentive, service was faultless and the food has the wow-factor with every bite. The flavours of some of the dishes challenge your palate yet come together so delicately. The shitake sundae dessert was my favourite! We went on a Saturday which only had the sensory menu - it was what we wanted anyway. Would highly recommend the sommelier pairing too. Probably one of the best wine pairings I've had in Melbourne.
Just the right amount of food for a tasting menu. Beautiful room, comfortable chairs and delightful staff. And probably the best wine pairings of any degustation I’ve experienced
Dined here about a month ago and our expectations after reading these reviews were fulfilled. Service was impeccable, setting, layout of restaurant, ease of parking were excellent. Food was great, a thoroughly enjoyable meal.
Absolutely amazing dining experience from start to end.
The moment you enter the restaurant you just know you are in for a treat. The layout of the restaurant is fairly intimate with an open kitchen visible for every diner, as well as the option of seating at the Chef's bar with a closer view of the kitchen.
The theme of the menu was to engage and indulge your senses and taste buds, which they definitely do. No menu is provided as they keep you guessing what the next dish will be while also promising for some surprises. Without giving too much away, our favourite dish for the night was definitely the pork but the entire menu was exceptionally wonderful.
The service and wait staff were all extremely friendly, attentive and sociable without being intrusive. Being able to relate with them made for a more natural but also private dining experience.
Definitely a must try restaurant and I would happily return for another wonderful experience run by head chef Clinton McIver.
I can’t fault this place, literally blown away by all the dishes, the service was wonderful and the vibes were fun, fancy and intimate. If you haven’t been here you are missing out!!!
Absolutely remarkable: from when we first stepped in and the warm welcome, the delicious balanced and flavoursome dishes, to the birthday wishes and care taken in every aspect of the night. Cannot recommend more highly for the chef’s table degustation.
Amazing just doesn’t even cut it. A hidden gem that you must try!
Exceptional Service - Exceptional quality on food. Can’t go wrong with Amaru. Been to Heston and Vue De Monde whom are a lot more pretentious - staff there are real and awesome - definitely coming back
This restaurant is definitely up there with one of the best 'fine dining' restaurants we have been to in Melbourne. There's 8 courses for the full degustation menu, which was definitely worth doing. Each course was presented impeccably and tasted amazing. Desserts were absolutely delicious. Very nice ambience in the restaurant, not too stuffy for a fine dining restaurant. Would recommend to anyone looking for a special treat!
One of the best restaurants that I have been this year. It is rated fairly highly and it delivered it all aspects. The food was delicious, the service was fantastic and the best part for me was the chefs would explain each dish to you. There was a lot of interaction between the staff. I prefer to dine at amaru than Heston restaurant.
Well, I came to this place quite long time ago but I want to leave a review because the food still make me to remember.
We had some short chatting with servers during the course, who made us comfortable and fun.
I got bread twice(otherwise, I would regret). Crispy and soft inside with the balsamic honey which was my first time to try with.
Potato dessert, honestly the taste didn't give me the 'dessert' feeling but it shown me that they are trying something different which can break down your prejudice. Crab dish made me to imagine like my mouth is welcoming an ocean.
This is one of the best restaurants in Melb. Professional, thoughtful, so much details and nice staffs too!
Just stellar!!
Best food and service I’ve had in a long time !!
Chefs table had great view of the kitchen and each dish was just prefect. Recommended!
This place really is spectacular. Easy parking and beautiful fitout. Gareth runs the floor impeccably as from his Jacque Reymond days. Fantastic rare bottles at fair markups. But its all about the food here. Having tried many of the world top 10 restaurants we can honestly say Clinton’s food is right on par. Generous seafood meats and desserts and amouse bouche places them as greater value and quality than Attica IMO
A matter of time before more accolades come their way
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Wow, what an amazing experience and treat to the tastebuds Amaru was! Went for my partner and I’s 3rd year anniversary together, and we were blown away by every single dish. Each one had a strong and memorable flavour. We’ve been to quite a few fine dining restaurants before, but Amaru is definitely in my all-time top 3 dining experiences... though if I absolutely HAD to pick, it would probably be in first place!
It’s a small but well-decorated, spacious space; luckily not overly-cluttered with tables and chairs in every available floor space like some places we’ve been to. We booked seats at the chef’s table and it was comfortable and added to the experience as we could look into the kitchen, watch drinks being made and also chat to staff when possible. The waiters were so attentive, informative and fun to talk to. It was a real pleasure too, when we realised that the chefs brought out each main dish to us and explained what it was, and a little bit of backstory too. We also appreciated the extra dessert they gave us for celebrating our anniversary with them.
The only small critique would be the fact that once we had finished and were ready to pay and leave, because the head waiter was talking too long with a table we were made to wait about an extra half an hour till we could actually leave. Our late night got even later... and with it being a weekday we weren’t looking forward to the early wake up for work. The other two waiters realised what was happening and apologised, saying that only he could process transactions and that we would have to wait for him. Though I feel one could have excused themselves and quickly told him we were waiting...
It was otherwise a perfect evening, and I cannot recommend Amaru enough for those looking for an excuse to go fine dining!
Food: it is a 13 course menu (plus an extra cake, biscuit and caramel) and everything is so delicate and well balanced that I truly enjoyed every single dish. There were multiple dishes we had to make a conscious effort not to lick the plate!
Service: very friendly and personable staff who took our joke seriously enough to give us extra broth, brought us cake (it's my birthday) and showed no impatience when it comes to our endless questions about their food.
Ambience: everything from the decor to their tableware cohesively creates a modern and cozy vibe.
Overall: will definitely look for excuses to return!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Move over Attica and Brae and all the other top eateries in Victoria - there's a newish kid on the block!
We happened upon Amaru and were blown away by the ambiance, the service and mostly the food.
We opted for a Saturday lunch. -We can do better justice to a long 15 course meal over 4 hours in the middle of the day.
From the first starter of onion, garfish and sheep milk yogurt we knew this was something special. Everything we were served appealed to the eyes as well as the taste-buds.
It's hard to pick a favorite dish, but the kangaroo was a standout as was the hapuka with fermented honey.
We opted for the chef's table which gave us a great view into the kitchen and some interesting insights into the recipes from the chefs. A great spot for two, but since it's a counter bar, probably not good for a larger group.
We didn't do the matched wines but in the end the sommelier had us eating (or should that be drinking) out of his hand (and bottles).
Deserts were amazing - I'm still getting my head around shitake Ice Cream - it was divine! Not too sweet with just a hint of umami and a nutty flavor that's hard to explain but smooth and creamy.
We managed to get a reservation just a few days in advance. I doubt that will last long as the word about this place gets around.
A fantastic dining experience. P and I were at the Chefs table and the restaurant made the experience exceptional. Every one of the 13+ courses had the wow factor which kept us eagerly waiting for the next taste experience. We started deciding to choose our own wines by the glass but ended up totally following the sommelier’s recommendation. We both would highly recommend this establishment for fine food, fine wine and fine service.
Valentine’s Day my fiancé and I had joined Amaru on this romantic night and they delivered, I was blown away by there 13 delightful course menu. I’ve eaten a lot of fine dining and by far this would be one of my top restaurant to take my partner out on a nice romantic night out. The staff were great and the atmosphere was relaxing and they go through each dish one by one to give that better understand of there dishes. Would be back again someday but it ain’t cheap so better look into your budget before coming
Tasting Notes Melbourne
+5
Best restaurant in Melbourne without a doubt. I won't tell you what's good because the chef will have changed a lot of what I had by now.. I will tell you to trust his judgement and try this place before there's a six month waiting list. So tasty and well executed. All staff have a passion for what is happening and you can see this in the whole experience. I wish you guys all the best
For me it’s the best taste restaurant in Melbourne. Even better than vue the monde. Staff are all very friendly. We spent a lovely night here. Thank you.
It was a enjoyable night at Amaru! The food was creative with great taste! A mixture of various flavors in one dish. Absolutely amazing. Thanks to all the chef. :)
Best degustation in Melbourne/Victoria. Impeccable service.
Was impressed by creativity and passion. We had an amazing array of dishes, flavours and textures which showcased Victoria’s finest produce. Each dish was proudly presented by its chef. They also managed to make my pesceterian dishes look the same as ‘normal.’
Been there because it was mentioned by the chef's friend Peter Gunn from IDES. It was a beautiful experience for me to celebrate my partner's bd here. The restaurant is not big but warm atmosphere. Staffs are friendly, helpful with knowledge of dishes and wine. We can't get more information or tell any special from their menu, but each course did bring surprise when seeing in person. All of the courses are creative, tasty and make us realise how much efforts those chefs spent on.
Thanks for the chocolate mud cake for my partner as well. We do appreciate it.
Definitely the best fine dinner i ever had in melbourne. Love every single dish and the wine pairing. The whole atmosphere were great. We were sitting at the bar table, could see how they prepare the dishes in the kitchen. Its a amazing place to celebrate a special date.
A very pleasing experience, food and atmosphere are absolutely top notch, with chefs explain the recipe of every dish. My boyfriend and I went there for Valentine’s Day and it was a lovely night without a doubt.
In a city known for fine dining, Amaru might just be on the way to being the best that there is in Melbourne. At $280 per head including wine pairing it is exceptional value when compared to the likes of Vue de Monde. The food is exquisite, only bettered by the friendly, highly professional service. World class. Brilliant.
Absolutely love this place! Celebrated my birthday here in December. Booking was made for dinner on a Wednesday night. What a great experience to be seated at the Chef’s Bar. Kuddos to Hee-won and Gareth for an awesome customer service; friendly, very attentive and knowledgeable. Hee-won even noticed that I am left-handed. Everything was perfect. Food was delicious; from the first course to the dessert and the birthday cake. Had my first Georgia orange wine here, and fell in love with it instantly! Everything was made to perfection.
Received a thank you email from the team the next day. Thank you Gareth for your reply to my enquiry on wine selections.
A sensory meal and 3 hours after, this is definitely a place we will comeback to! Team Amaru you rock!
Oh wow!! The team at Amaru delivered the perfect dining experience. Fit-out, decor, ambience, service, refined dishes, flavours and presentation were all next level …. we loved it all! This is fine dining without formality and pretence. It doesn’t get much better than this folks.
Amaru Armadale by far the best dining experience. Must give it a try their degustation menu is sure to tantalise the tastebuds. Staff very switched on .
Heston needs to pop in for a class. All is brill, not a meal an experience! Put away four hours and love life and yes few wines too. Service is extremely special too. The freeze dried mandarin rocks!
Had a really nice dining experience at the chefs table. The service as you would expect was impeccable and it was so good to be served by the chefs and given so much information about each dish. The courses had unique combinations that worked well with each other. There was a dish I didn't like as the flavour overpowered the whole dish for me - when one of the staff overheard I didn't like that ingredient they were kind enough to replace the whole dish for me without that ingredient !
Absolutely gem of restaurant. Service was on point and so was the food. Loved the personalised service that all guests receive from the chefs!
A group of 4 of us came here to try the sensory menu. We ordered some bottles of wine throughout the course of the night, and it was matched well with the dishes, the only thing is the choices are on the expensive side. The actual food itself was adventurous and delicious. Each dish was packed full of flavor, and there was plenty of creativity with the ingredients. We also opted for the extra course of wagyu beef, which was absolutely delicious!! The staff were all very courteous, and one even provided us with some great humour. It was also lovely having the chefs come and explain each dish to us too. Really classy dining experience in a contemporary setting, that doesn’t feel pretentious. Great option for a special occasion!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Dining here was not just a delicious meal but an entire experience. We were a group of 4 on a weeknight, seated at the large back table which felt quite luxurious. Staff were great from the start; our main waiter had a wicked sense of humour and being served meals by the chefs themselves was a nice touch. Additionally all the small touches were taken care of; from attentive but unobtrusive service to perfectly timed offers of more wine or a short break between dishes.
Food was delicious and ignited the tastebuds with unexpected combinations of sweet, salty and savoury and a variety of textures, all presented beautifully. My favourites were the first entree (onion, smoked garfish and sheep’s yoghurt - an absolutely mouth watering burst of flavour that I can’t adequately put into words), the dry aged hapuka, the kangaroo, and the wagyu beef. The “dirty potato” was certainly the most adventurous of the dishes and an interesting but tasty experience. The grass fed beef caramel was also delicious and melt in the mouth to finish.
Wine choices are on the expensive side but also tasty - we went for the South African Chenin Blanc which was smooth and just sweet enough. A great meal for a special occasion.
If your looking for a special occasion dining experience then amaru in high street is the place. We came here for my birthday and it was hands down the best degustation I have had in a while.
Amaru was recommended to my husband by a good friend for our anniversary.
Both my husband and I can't stop raving about this place. We have been to many great restaurants around the world and we put Amaru up there with the best. From the service to the food and wine we found it faultless. And faultless is rare for us to say.
All I can say is if you love food and wine at the highest level with amazing service - look no further.
Forget Attica - this is the place to go for exceptional food and service. Every course in the degustation menu was absolutely amazing. Quality of food and flavours was second to none.
All staff very well trained and super friendly. There is nothing I could suggest to improve Amaru. I highly recommend and will return many times.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Absolutely amazing meal and service.
You know how sometimes you go to restaurants and the waiter is either awkwardly over-eager, and you have to fake-laugh because you know they mean well? Or so serious you're afraid to ask for a cheap bottle of wine? Well our waiter was neither of those things. His dry sense of humor had us in stitches, even if it meant my boyfriend nearly ate paper because he couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or not.
We sat on the chef's table, which didnt face directly into the kitchen and was a bit awkward for a group of 4, but it was still fun to be up close to the action.
I loved most of the dishes, but the standout ones for me were the crab ice cream dish, which was reminiscent of Brae's oyster ice cream, the pickled mussels soup, although our soup came out with a bit too much oil on top (because it was poured first perhaps?) and the kangaroo, which so well cooked I could've mistaken it for a high grade piece of beef, definitely the best kangaroo ive ever had. The potato ice cream was really good as well, very enjoyable because of its uniqueness.
We also got the upgrades of wagyu and truffle. Whilst we enjoyed the wagyu, I didnt think the truffle added anything to the dishes.
Expensive, but we left full to the brim. We had to ask for a break after the savory dishes because the steam of food seemed unending.
We came here tonight for a friend’s birthday and opted for the sensory menu. Wish we would have known about the chef’s table upon booking but we were, instead, seated right next to the door… that opened a few times during our session, giving us a burst of cold air.
The restaurant was quiet, but having very limited seating, that was to be expected.
There were quite a few dishes, so this will be more of a photo post.
All of the dishes had a good range of flavours that excited your senses; from sweet and sour, to salty with a slight tang.
Check out the review of Amaru in the blog post below.
A beautiful and sophisticated degustation. Perfect for special occasions and good value with matched wines as there is a new wine for every 1.5 dishes (about 8 wines over the ~12 course sensory menu).
Service was extremely attentive and having the chefs serve the food is a wonderful idea.
Standout savoury dishes were the Spanner Crab & Cucumber, Smoked Prawn and Kangaroo & Liquorice. We also had the optional addition of freshly shaved black truffle for $35 over two dishes which was extremely generously served.
Desserts were all standouts: the "Dirty Potato", decomposed Apple leaves and Meredith Cheesecake were all highly inventive, beautifully presented and sophisticatedly playful mashups of savoury and sweet.
We were very impressed and it was a lovely way to celebrate a special event!
An amazing dinner at @amaru_melbourne, we sat at the bar so front doe seats to the open kitchen - was so hard to pick a favorite dish as everything was delicious! The mushroom, truffle and Japanese custard, the venison, the crab, the chocolate potato was so clever and yum! And to finish a wagyu beef caramel. Left full and content. Thank you for your wonderful food and making our anniversary celebrations all the more memorable 🤗
Came here for lunch with my partner and we had the insight menu. The ambience of the restaurant was great and everything they used from the place mats to even decorations of the toilets was top. Service was excellent and the waiter and chefs were great in explaining each dish. The only downside was the first snack of garfish was way too salty and the pickled mussels were a bit too sour for our taste. We enjoyed the roe emulsion that went with the house sourdough so much we pretty much finished the whole jar of it. The Meredith cheesecake was the highlight. Everything on the plate went so well together, one of the best desserts we've had in a while-bonus points for the presentation. Serving size is on the small side but reasonable considering the price. However, we have been told that the price is soon to go up.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
One word, divine. Amaru has only been around for a year and a bit but has already established itself as one of the top restaurants in Melbourne. It was the best fine dining experience we have ever had, in terms of both food and hospitality. Good on Clinton and his team for such a successful first venture. Starting off with 'snacks' to warm up our tastebuds, the entire culinary journey, a sixteen (16) degustation course of the Sensory Menu was inventive, sophisticated yet executed deliciously. Some creative elements I can recall are: crab ice cream, smoked duck ham, pickled mussels, decomposed apple leaves, potato ice cream, and beer caramel. The main for our course was a kangaroo steak. Thanks to Amaru, my first kangaroo steak set the bar for future steaks too high now. Dry aged for three weeks and lightly grilled, it was wonderfully tender and perfectly matched with quince sauce. All their desserts were amazing too, what a shame Zomato only allows an upload of ten photos.
It was a special evening for our couple as we were celebrating our anniversary and we couldn't have chosen a better venue. It wasn't just the food but Amaru team's hospitality was extraordinary. We loved each chef rotating to deliver and introduce us each course. It wasn't forceful or intrusive, some were even humorous. In particular, the restaurant manager, Hee-Won, was an amazing host. We enjoyed his small talk, sharing his culinary experiences in Korea, London and Melbourne. When we told him that we wished to visit Seoul in the near future he suggested he give us a list of places to try. We were happy to note them down ourselves, we certainly did not expect him to go away for a good twenty minutes or so collating a list of restaurants to go to with each of their address, contact details and website. We were extremely grateful for his personalised service. Amaru team is an epitome of good hospitality. It made our evening even more special, thank you for the amazing experience.
Totally loved the dining experience here at Amaru, first class service very attentive. The restaurant is small but got a good ambiance. Degustation menu was well balanced, good combination of dishes and a bit of Japanese fusion in it. Custom made plates and bowls are so unique and goes so well with their beautiful plating.
Service was 11/10, staff were lovely and very attentive.
Best dishes were the king prawn, mussels and spanner crab! The snacks to start were all delicious too.
Definitely a nice place to go for a special occasion, the extra cake with the candle was a nice treat.
Steve's 41st birthday dinner took place at Amaru in Armadale. It's been on our list for so long but we never got round to it. Chef Clinton McIver's recent appearance on Masterchef reminded us that it was high time we hauled ourselves to the ritzy suburb of Armadale. I booked far enough in advance to secure seats at the Chef's Table which can accommodate around 6 people and provides a great view of all the activity in the kitchen. Lucky us had the end two seats so our entertainment for the evening was closer than the distance between TV and sofa at home! Even more importantly was that the bar seats are super comfortable and can hold the distance for the 11 course 'sensory menu'. Disclosure - sitting a the Chef's Table means going with the $155 per head sensory menu and accepting the supplementary item(s) at a cost and in our case it was Manjimup black truffle at an additional $35 per head - (I think I remember it at $35 per head.... but don't hold me to that!)
We've been following Clinton McIver's food journey since he was cooking fine dining in Clayton Lawn Bowls. He certainly turned it into a fine dining establishment! I had the most delicious piece of wagyu steak there cooked to perfection on a grill and melting in my mouth. Went to Amaru and was fascinated by his kooky inventions - he served us duck egg smoked hay ice cream! Very interesting but not to my taste. I think he is pushing the boundaries in terms of fine dining even though some flavours were not to my palate. Have to commend him on his courage to do them though and to stay true to his dream.
Food is average. Some interesting dishes but not my favourite degustation place. Nice and relaxing dining. Had a good view of watching the chefs works.
We got the sensory menu ($155) and as a requirement of having a seat at the chef's table, we indulged in having an addition of black truffle to 2 dishes for an additional ($35).The service at this place was top notch. The ambience was great as well. The price was not cheap at $190 per head but it was worth it. We really enjoyed this place. The winner of the night was definitely the smoked prawn course. The prawn tail was slightly seared and sprinkled with dried native plum. Hiding underneath was sheep's curd and fingerlime pearls and a crunchy prawn head sat atop of it. This dish left all my tastebuds singing!!! Overall, Amaru had interesting concepts but most importantly punchy flavours. The presentation was lovely and I definitely enjoyed the savoury courses over the dessert ones. We were definitely full by the end of it and really satisfied.
Without even thinking twice, i give AMARU 5 STARS. Best restaurant ive been to in Melbourne so far. The decor was very homely, it actually felt like i was in the comfort of my own home or at a furniture store. SERVICE from EVERYONE was amazing, very friendly and real. FOOD was unbelievably good.. the flavour combination was PERFECT... got me questioning how they came up with the ideas for everything.. THE ENTREES were spot on and delicious.. PRAWN head was orgasmic- must be eaten together with the raw flesh.. BREAD with pumpkin peanut butter was scrumptious.. CHAWANMUSHI - the broth was heaven!! DESSERT- DIRTY POTATO fabulous - reminds me of Japanese potato chips covered in chocolate & the gold goat CHEESECAKE.. HOW ON EARTH DID THEY CREATE THAT?
AMARU you will be bigger than you will expect one day but please never change ... WILL be BACK and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... i hope booking wont be a struggle for me in the future 😣
Wow!
Came here for a special occasion. I had no idea where we were going and my boyfriend surprised me. As big Masterchef fans, he had actually remembered Clinton McIver on the show saying he had opened up his own restaurant in Melbourne and there we were!
It's a small and intimate restaurant where you can watch the chefs creating the food from a distance. The service was absolutely outstanding! We only had the tiniest bit of pumpkin spread left (literally half a tea spoon) and yet to came and gave us a whole new slice of bread! We really liked the fact that the chefs came out and presented their dishes to us. The dishes were presented beautifully and you could tell a lot of care and attention had gone into it. The stand out dishes for me was probably the prawn and the chocolate potato!
The evening was absolutely perfect and would absolutely encourage everyone thinking of going to 100% to go!
An intimate, soft industrial, luxurious restaurant. We went here for Saturday lunch. Service was very friendly and attentive. We did the 4 courses which turned in to more like a 7 course meal! Very generous! Started off with some snacks, then 2 entrees, a main, 2 desserts, a special little cake to celebrate our anniversary & some sweet snacks with our coffee! Not cheap, but in comparison to a lot of other fine dining restaurants it isn't bad! Recommend if you can afford. Good job Amaru! 👍🏻☺️
A gorgeous restaurant with an intimate dining room. I enjoyed most courses, especially the iced mud crab and smoked prawn. The dirty potato dessert was a highlight as well. Service was attentive and very personable. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.
I think this would have to be my favourite restaurants in Melbourne and must be one of the best value degustations going around. Clinton McIver keeps reinventing each dish and every time you go back it is a new experience. The venison...amazing
Been to the initial restaurant at Clayton Bowls, but the comeback was excellent. Went there for lunch & it was nothing less to perfection. The additional crab salad w crab ice-cream was stunning. Even the potato ice-cream dessert was one of a kind! Service was emaculate & personal unlike some fine dining whereby service can be overthetop & professional but loses it's customer personal ttouch. Definitely will return for more.
I need to start off by complimenting the restaurant manager Hee Won. He’s an absolute delight who made our night so much more enjoyable. He was so lovely and very engaging. The atmosphere and design of the restaurant is so sophisticated but reminds of me home – very cozy. It’s a small quaint low-key restaurant. However, the food was delicious. Ex Vue-de-Monde sous chef Clinton McIver is not about the theatrics in his food but the simplicity and beautiful flavours. Every single dish was amazing. Very thankful they were able to change up the chocolate dessert due to my dislike. Will definitely be back and will definitely recommend it to everyone.
Amazing fine dining experience! I was here for my birthday dinner, seated at the Chefs Table. The service was outstanding. We were served with little delicious snacks followed by a 9 course meal. Ambience was equally sophisticated and welcoming and interior was very modern and clean. Every dish that came out was delightful and well thought out. Perfectly balanced and interesting flavours. Would highly recommend! ❤️
Wow! This is one special restaurant. It is amazing. When you step in, you feel like you're in a cosy lounge room. It's very intimate with a few tables only yet the tables are set far enough apart where you have your own space. The service is amazing and the chefs bring out the food to you. The food itself is creative and sophisticated unlike some other 'fancy' restaurants which are just creative but the flavours don't actually match. Amaru is thoughtful and everything is purposeful. It is so worth coming here and I couldn't say enough good things about it
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
My partner and I visited amaru on a Saturday night. We thoroughly enjoyed the snacks and the savoury dishes. The standouts were the chicken liver and pine mushroom snack, mud crab cold entree, pickled mussels and smoked prawn. The crab ice cream that came with the mud crab entree was innovative and packed full of flavour. The sunflower seed butter that came with the bread course was amazing! It was so creamy and nutty - I would gladly pay for a jar of that butter! My partner enjoyed the dry aged venison but I found it a little too gamey. The savoury dishes were very well balanced. We were a little disappointed with the desserts because all three desserts were ice cream. I wanted a little more variety and the flavours didn't really work very well for me. The sweet potato ice cream was bland and miss for me. Also, the addition of olive oil to the buffalo mozzarella ice cream course overpowered the dish. The petit fours were divine and they were a nice end to the meal. The strawberry gum delight and grass fed beef caramel were delicious. Service was excellent. All in all, we had a wonderful night and will be back.
A hidden gem. Service of the highest quality. Fitted out like a lounge room. Degustation only. Not cheap. Chef clearly going all out in experimenting. Some fantastic dishes. We will be back
DO: The set menu obviously. That's the only thing you can do haha.
DON'T: Come if you're on a budget. This is an Exy restaurant and perfect when you want to splurge a little.
TIP: At the end, ask for the special wagyu caramel lolly. So worth it.
Another amazing find. Course after course of perfectly cooked dishes. Not a huge fan of some of their dessert but overall I would come back here any day.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
It was an absolute pleasure to dine at Clinton McIvor's Amaru. In relaxed, intimate and tastefully decorated surroundings we were entertained with 12 courses of appetisers, mains and dessert. The highlight of the appetisers for me was the Pork & Cabbage take on dim sims. The 5 courses of tuna, mushrooms, crab, prawn and kangaroo were magnificent and thoroughly enjoyed by all four at the table. Desserts, in my opinion typical of Chef McIvor, challenge the consumer. Items like potato ice cream and olive oil jam take you away from what you expect and there was a lot of discussion around the table on the merits of this. All up we had a wonderful night at Amaru and I would highly recommend it.
Menu ingredients:
Activated Nuts and Seeds/John Dory Roe Emulsion
Onion/Garfish/Smoked Sheep's Yoghurt
Lightly Smoked Duck Ham
Pork/Fermented Cabbage/Natural Yeast
Big Eye Tuna/Sweet Ginger/Trout Pearls/Cured Melon Juice
Otway Shitake/Green Onion Oil/Chawanmushi/Truffle
Mud Crab/Native Tamarind/Finger Lime/Frozen Peanut
Smoked Prawn/Caramelised Yoghurt/Yeast Oil/Begonia Leaves
Dry Aged Kangaroo/Raw Liquorice/Blackberries
Dirty Potato
Jonella Corn/Frozen Peach/Quandong Kernel/Verbena
Strawberries/Buckwheat/Buffalo Mozzarella/Olive Oil
Grass Fed Beef Caramel
Amaru - I’m absolutely blown away. No words can describe the quality food, drinks & service of this place. The kitchen is completely open, the chefs do bring out their own dishes themselves and make the experience so valuable. 10/10 experience of pure value - $220 per head for 14 courses plus $150-$250 for a wine pairing. Worth every cent.
What an experience I had. From the food to the service and the chefs coming and explaining the ingredients in the food you're about to eat. Everyone is so professional at their craft. I went for my wedding anniversary and the ambience was so intimate. My husband added the wine pairing with his courses and it was fascinating to learn by the waiter about which region the wine comes from and it's history. I had the sensory menu and each bite was exquisite. It was a work of art. Well done to Clinton and the team for making it an awesome night. It's too hard to choose a favorite of the night. Each course complemented the other. Thank you.
We have never been to the actual physical restaurant, but during the lockdowns ordered several times. The food is brilliant, instructions are so easy and clear, you end up with fantastically looking gourmet dishes. After ordering from Amaru, we invariably got disappointed when we tried take home food from other really famous restaurants. Amaru is so much better! Highly recommend, looking forward to actually visiting the restaurant when Victoria is reopen again.
Service is great and food is amazing, taste and presentation is really good. The best fine dining place I ever have so far. Every single thing they serve is mind-blowingly good and the non-alcoholic beverage pairing is a must!
Fine dining without pretension. This is one of the finest restaurants in Melbourne, and showcases the beauty of native Australian food and ingredients. Don’t miss the wine pairing, it’s executed flawlessly and worth the splurge.
An awesome experience! We got the signature menu at the chef's table and thoroughly enjoyed it. Food was outstanding and so creative. Staff were so friendly but not overbearing. The decor is also simple but elegant. Highly recommend if looking for a high quality fine dining experience in Melbourne!
First fine dining with my partner. Everything in this place is perfect. Staff are also very friendly. Will visit again!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes